You and Me
by Pokiepup
Summary: Sometimes forever just doesn't start right away. Told from Bo's POV, ONE-SHOT, Does include the Breakup scene in a brief FB.


You and Me

.

" _I got us pho." Smile taking over my face before I even catch a glimpse of her, the sound of her footsteps enough. "To help you pho-get about spending an entire day in that psychopath's head." My smile lessening as I study her. She's not smiling, not even looking at me. Too far Bo, too far. "I'm sorry, bad dad joke." Ah, there it is. It's small, but still there. "Lauren, I love you. And if you want to be fae-that's what I want too."_

" _I took the antidote." Her eyes are on me now, locked with mine and I hear her, I do. I'm paying attention it's just that there's something-off. This feeling begins to creep up in the pit of my stomach, a tightening in my chest as my heart speeds up. "I'm not fae anymore."_

" _Okay. That's a-I'm just glad you're okay." Her eyes start to shift from mine. I'm scared. I don't really know why, but I am. "Are you okay?"_

" _I lost myself. I was so completely obsessed with us that I-I just lost myself."_

" _Yeah," I step around from the table, smiling gently. "But we got you back. And you're healthy and things can be the way they were."_

" _You asked me why I was willing to give up who I am to be fae. Bo, it was never about being fae. It was about us, about fixing the one thing that holds us back."_

" _We don't need to be fixed, we are perfect."_

" _When I'm old and gray and losing my mind for real-."_

" _I will still love you." I step in, keeping my tone firm so she knows I mean what I'm saying. So she knows these aren't just empty promises. "You. Lauren Lewis, no matter how many gray hairs you have on your head."_

" _I know you will Bo." Her voice is starting to shake, this little shine to her eyes. Suddenly I think I know why I'm so scared. "That's just it, I know that you will love me until my last dying breath." She's holding my hands now, I feel it, but I don't really feel it. My mind starting to spin, this all too familiar feeling making sense now. We've been here before-had this conversation before. Different house, different words-but yet, still the same somehow. "But I can't do that to you. I don't want to do that to you."_

" _That is my decision."_

" _No, Bo it's not just your decision."_

" _This is because of Jack, don't you see that? Don't you see what he's done, this is what he wants."_

" _No, Bo it's not because of him. This is about you and me," She lets go of my hands, and I feel like she's slipping away. "I'm supposed to be a healer, and you're a protector-and I risked all of that."_

" _All I want is you." It takes every bit of strength not to let the tears slip from my eyes, to keep from reaching out and touching her. I just want so desperately to reach out and hold her. Maybe-just maybe if I hold her close enough, tight enough it'll make her feel safe. It'll show her that she's wrong, that we can do this together. There's something in her eyes though, the way she's looking at me-I'm scared she might run if I try._

" _I just-I can't. People need you, people need me."_

" _Please don't do this Lauren," I know I'm begging, but I have no shame. Not when it comes to her. "Not again."_

" _Oh Bo believe me I know." There's this hardening to her tone, and I know it's done. I've lost. "I am so sorry. I love you." She reaches up, holding my face as she leans in pressing her lips to mine. It takes a second to even register what she's saying, the feel of her hands on my skin, her lips over mine. I don't even completely understand what's happening, yet I feel her hands slip from my face as do her lips._

 _It's all so familiar, a goodbye kiss-but I can't help the way my heartbreaks._

 _Just like that she's gone._

 _Just like that-it's all over._

 _._

Love-such a funny thing.

One minute you're the happiest you've ever been, can't stop smiling. Doesn't matter what's going on around you, the world could be slowly falling apart when you get a single glimpse, a single thought and it's all okay. The next minute, one wrong word, one wrong step and it's all gone. One simple act of affection can make your whole day and single refusal can ruin it. When everything is good, the days fly by and the next thing you know it's been a month, a year, two, five, but when things take a turn, a minute becomes hours, hours days, days weeks.

It's amazing the power we give those we love-those we fall in love with.

Family and love, it's all I ever wanted-no one ever warned me though of the pain that came with it. The harder the fall was when you slipped. The way you'd never care about yourself the same way again, that they'd always be more important to you, even at the risk of your own pain-your own heart. The way that life would never be the same. That if you fell hard enough, that if you really gave your whole heart, it doesn't matter together or apart-you'd never be truly complete again without them.

I used to, still do actually, roll my eyes at the corny people in movies tossing around the line, 'I'm incomplete without you'. Honestly when I was younger it was just more comical, but now-I roll my eyes because they don't know the truth behind those words. Movies use it, people use it as a cheap line, but I know what it really means. No, you won't ever die without someone-just a part of you, often the best part. You fall in love and find out things about yourself you'd never have known otherwise. You give them these pieces of you, some you knew how significant, others you'd never know until you lost them. You give them this power over you that sometimes you don't even have. You give them the power to hurt you easier than anyone and the power to make you feel safer than you ever thought possible. It's these little things that you run the risk of losing, and it's these little things when taken away that make you incomplete when you lose who you love.

If you really were in love, really gave yourself that much to another person-you'll never get them back.

That's what it really means to tell someone you're incomplete without them-it's perhaps the most romantic notion ever or maybe the saddest to know you'll never truly be complete again without that person. Then again, I can't help wondering, were you really before you met them?

Doesn't matter I guess, I never was much of a scholar. Hell, when I wasn't busy running from my problems, I never could seem to find the right words. Right words to make her feel safe with me. The right words to make her understand that she was all I ever wanted, all I'd ever need. The right words to make her understand that there was no forever for me without her. That forever was whatever we could make of it. That every time I looked in her eyes, every time I kissed her it was like living a lifetime in just a moment. That I never really meant to hurt her, I just didn't know better. That she was the best part of my life, the best part of me.

People say they're just words-if they were just words, they wouldn't hold so much weight.

.

" _You're drunk?"_

" _Hello to you too." I just stare at her, waiting for something. "Aren't you gonna invite me in?" Hands on either side of the doorframe to her work area._

" _I don't think that would be a good idea."_

" _Oh, you don't think." I nod, letting my eyes fall to the floor._

" _Bo."_

" _No, no I get it." I hold my hand up, shaking my head. "It's just you seem to be doing a lot of thinking as of late-for us."_

" _I'm not going to fight with you Bo." She finally looks away from me, putting the folder she had been holding down._

" _You know, come to think of it you talk a big game about how we need to work on communication and put in effort. About how we need to trust each other more, and be a couple, but you always seem to be doing the thinking for us."_

" _I'm sorry?"_

" _You made the decision to try and keep me from getting answers from Vex. You made the decision I should feed off of others. You made the decision to break up the first time. You made the decision to run-to keep your history from me-to stay apart. You made the damn decision to test that shit on yourself. Now-now you're making this decision for us too."_

" _It's been a really, really long day."_

" _Long isn't the word I would use to describe today."_

" _Okay, then how about," She pauses, stopping the idle flipping of pages as she brings her eyes up to meet mine. "Draining? Excruciating? Unbearable? Frightening? Mortifying? Agonizing?" Her firm jaw finally quivers for a moment and despite my own passive aggressive state of mind, I feel this sharp pain ripping through my heart. "Any of those words better for you? I can think of a lot more, and even then it won't come close to accurately describing what today."_

" _Stop making decisions for me!" I snap, not even realizing I had raised my voice._

" _I make them, because you can't." She whispers, this mixture of pain and anger in her eyes I don't think I've seen before. "You can't make them Bo, so I get to." She looks so calm, so still-it's unusual how much._

" _I don't accept this."_

" _Accept what?" Her hands coming to rest on her desk._

" _Your decision, I don't accept it."_

" _You don't have a choice Bo."_

" _Bullshit." I let my hands slip from the foundation, stepping in. She doesn't move, doesn't even really blink, but I can see this fear in her eyes. This fear that's begging me just to turn around a leave. "I get a say Lauren, I get a say in my life."_

" _You do," she dips her head, this weight on my chest before she even speaks. "Just not with me-this time."_

" _Anytime."_

" _Please, don't do this."_

" _You don't get to tell me what to do."_

" _I'm asking." Her words a whisper._

" _You sure as hell don't get to ask me for something-not after you-."_

" _I know."_

" _No, you don't know." My voice breaks, I have to look away to compose myself trying desperately to keep my tears at bay. "You know I'm not perfect, I know this. I know I've hurt you so damn much, more than I care to think about. More than I care to admit, but you-you've hurt me more than I ever have."_

" _Really?" She snaps, looking up with that self-righteous 'How dare you' look._

" _My heart has always been yours, no matter-."_

" _Who you slept with?"_

" _Yeah," Snort escaping me as I nod. "I can't help being-what I am. I wish I could Lauren, I wish I could not be-me. But I am and you've known this, you've known since day one what I was-even before I did."_

" _Which is why I maybe never should have-."_

" _Have what?" I swear I can feel my heartbreaking beneath my chest. "Never been with me?" My voice shaking. "Y-you regret us?"_

" _No," She shakes her head, looking down at her desk once again. "But I-if I could do it over, I don't know if I would."_

 _Oh God, I think I'm dying._

" _Wh-what?"_

" _Look at us Bo, we just keep hurting each other."_

" _I was just-I don't understand." I look away, toward the door and can't help wondering if I should have just let Dyson take me home. "Y—you love me, don't you?"_

" _It's not about love."_

" _That's all anything is about."_

" _Not this time," She waits for me to face her to deliver her next blow. "Our relationship is summed up in two words Bo, love and breakups."_

" _I usually like to think of it as love and makeups, but you know, silly me being optimistic." I don't turn away, but move my eyes over the desk, the wall behind her. Anywhere but her._

" _We've been running from the truth for a long time, since we laid eyes on each other."_

" _What truth?" I take a breath, catching my voice raising again. "What truth Lauren? That I fell in love with you the moment I met you? That I never really wanted anyone else, not really. That I regret everything with Dyson and-everyone else. That all I want is a future for us?"_

" _Dammit Bo!" Her hands hit the desk, tears slipping down her cheeks as her jaw quivers. "There is no future for us, and that's the problem."_

" _We can have any future we want." I take two steps forward, hands reaching out as if for her before falling back to my sides._

" _Our history proves different."_

" _It's called history for a reason."_

" _No matter how we-being overly optimistic, I have maybe twenty five or thirty years where I still am viable." She rolls her eyes, looking up toward the ceiling momentarily. "After that there's declines Bo, physically and sexually and mentally. You will still look just as young as you are now. You will still be just as much in need of sex and feeding." She runs her hands through her hair, wiping the tears away. "It's one thing now to lie to myself about you feeding. You come home to me, and we make love and you look into my eyes and I feel like I'm the only one. So I can lie now-but as the years pass and I am less able to give you what-."_

" _I told you, I will still love you."_

" _And I told you, I know you will Bo." She steps backward as I take a step forward, shaking her head. "But what kind of life is that?"_

" _It would be ours."_

" _That's something you want? You want to end up having to buy me diapers? You want to end up explaining to people when we go out that I'm not your mother? You want to end up being around long enough that I'm more of a burden than I already am?"_

" _Enough." I snap through a clenched jaw._

" _You don't even want to think about it Bo, how do you-?"  
_

" _Do you really think we'll live that long?"_

" _What?" She looks almost taken back, and I imagine if I could see my own face, I would too._

" _You want honesty Lauren? Take a look around at our lives. Okay maybe I'm a succubus and Dyson is a shifter and Tamsin is a Valkyrie, but look at our lives. Every other month we're fighting some big bad something. Yeah, we win-we have a good track record, but there's always something better. We never thought we'd lose Hale, but-we lost him to a psycho with mommy issues. Now we have Gods running around and who knows what's going to happen. Who knows what's coming next."_

" _So, your hope is that we be together until we die-hopefully before I start really aging."_

" _That's not what I said."_

" _It is though." She holds my stare. "No matter how you look into our future Bo, it's not a happy ending."_

 _"We can have any ending we want." My words a whispered plea._

" _I wish it was that simple."_

" _It is!"_

" _It's not!" She takes another step back, wiping fresh tears from her cheeks. "I wish it was different. I wish that my decision earlier was something out of fear, but it's not. This is how it has to be."_

" _I don't accept that."_

" _I know Bo," She nods, smiling painfully sympathetic at me. "Which is why I have to."_

 _._

My eyes run over the little, yellow card clenched between my thumb and index finger. Her name messily scribbled on the back with this address, the other side her actual business card. The sight of just her name causing my heart to speed up, this wave of heat washing over me. Who would have thought just the sight of her name could make me this-nervous.

I look, tossing the card on the passenger seat. Have to be honest, definitely never where I thought she'd end up. We talked once or twice about how a place outside of the city would be nice, some place to get away from everything for a weekend or two a month. Never thought she would choose to live at a place like this full time-then again at the time, I didn't really imagine the scenario without me being a part of it.

The house itself is very nice, huge even. Freshly painted white, the slanted layered roof and top of the surrounding porch a dark gray. It all look newer, or maybe it's just that well kept up. After all, wouldn't expect anything less from her though. It's just everything else that's a bit puzzling. The several acres of wide open land, the large, barn like thing far off to the left of the house on the other side of this driveway. Which would probably be the most surprising thing, an extremely long driveway that consists of just pebbles. Definitely not something I expected to find.

.

" _It doesn't need to be this way." I say softly, startling her._

" _Bo, please." She doesn't bother looking back at me, just continues packing the neatly folded piles of clothes into her red duffle bag. I know the color shouldn't have meaning, I just don't think I've really seen her with anything red before. "Why'd you come?"_

" _To try to get you to reconsider."_

" _I told you, that wasn't an option."_

" _You've told me a lot of things, a lot of times they seem to change depending on your mood." I look up from the bed to find her staring at me now. "I'm sorry, that was-uncalled for."_

" _There's nothing you can say Bo, we've discussed this."_

" _What about do?"_

" _No, there's nothing you can do." She shakes her head. "Nothing we can do."_

" _So we just give up then?"_

" _It's weak to give up when there is still hope, it's wise to surrender when there isn't."_

 _"I love you," I take a step into her room. "You still love me."_

" _I do." She whispers, almost as if it hurts to admit it._

" _Then that is all the hope we need."_

" _I wish it was, God Bo, you have no idea how much I wish that was true."_

" _You don't have to leave." I hear my voice break as I close the distance between us, pulling the pair of pants from her hand. "You don't have to."_

" _I do."_

" _Why?"_

" _You know why." She turns her face from me, going to pick up a shirt that I quickly pull form her hand. "Bo."_

" _Just tell me why."_

" _Because."_

" _Because isn't an answer Lauren."_

" _Because this-right here." She meets my eyes. "Because I love you, and you love me, and we are those people who are always together even if we're not. We'll say we'll be friends, but we'll never use the word. We'll get hurt and jealous when the other talks to someone else, touches someone else. We'll drop everything for the other, risk our lives for the other. We'll be a couple without saying it, until eventually we can't help it. Then we'll try again and God, we will be so damn happy-until the next reminder of why we shouldn't be together."_

" _We don't know that there will be a reason."_

" _There will always be a reason for us Bo, one way or another."_

 _._

Taking a deep breath, I finally step out of the car. The country air so fresh and sweet almost, it's a bit odd. I wonder if you get used to this. My eyes wander over the land, just tons of grass and trees, it's beautiful. I'm sure I could appreciate it more if I wasn't so nervous I'm sure I'm going to toss my cookies. I make it just around the front of the car before I hear this barking. I stop after a few steps into the front lawn, this husky on steroids charging at me.

"Hale!" The sound of her voice stops the world for me. The sound of the tress rustling at the steady breeze, the sound of the dog braking, the sound of the birds flying through the sky-it just all silences. It all fades away. My eyes moving from the dog who I think has stopped-or maybe I'm about to be mauled, but all I can do is look at her as she stands on the front steps. "Come here boy." Her tone so soft, eyes never leaving mine as she pats the side of her thigh.

She looks as stunning as ever, maybe even more so. I can't help the way I take several, cautious steps forward. The woman is still like gravity to me. She's got these turquoise scrub bottoms on, and this little black tee shirt that I really hope is not something she wears out. This ridiculous twinge of possessiveness pulling at me. She's got her hair pulled up, but several strands from the front are falling in her face, it looks almost intentional. She must have been in the middle of something though, she hardly ever pulls her hair back. Lips curving into a small, unpreventable smile as my eyes roam her body from behind my sunglasses. She's put on a little weight, it's not a lot, hell no one would probably notice, but I know her body like I know my own. It suits her very well, makes her look a little younger actually.

"Lauren." I can't help smiling as I say her name, pulling my sunglasses off finally within fifteen feet of her or so.

"Bo."

"You named him Hale?" My eyes drifting down to the attention hungry fur ball who despite now playing the calmest dog ever, keeps nuzzling her hand.

"Y-yeah." She glances down at him, smiling-it's one that fades as she looks back up to me. "He's loyal to a fault, cute, also has this habit of being a complete goof to get me smile." My eyebrow raising. "Reminded me so much of how Hale was with Kenzi."

"It's sweet."

"Is the world ending?" She asks drily, almost accusing me of something after a moment of silence.

"Yeah," I nod chuckling. "That's not really why I'm here though."

"Kind of disappointed," She smirks, finally petting the poor dog. "Things have been slow around here lately."

"Yeah," I glance around. "I can see how you and fuzzy Hale could get bored out here all by yourselves."

"We're not by ourselves. There's also Milo and Epona."

"Um." I try not to laugh.

"They're my horses." She gestures toward there barn with her free hand.

"You own horses?"

"It's the thing to do here," She gives that adorable shrug she used to. "Besides I've always loved animals."

"I remember," Small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth again, just a few words and so many memories come to mind. "I just never thought horses."

"They're amazing animals really, there's no feeling in the world like just riding across the open land. You feel so-free."

"It must be an amazing feeling." I laugh a little, taking a couple more steps in. Eyes on trained Cujo, but my laugh silences as my smile vanishes. Her hand on his head, idly petting him. There's nothing wrong there, in fact I'd probably try to pet him myself once I was sure he wouldn't eat me. It's just that shiny, gold thing around her ring finger that's causing my heart to hurt. "So just you, Hale, Milo and Epona then?"

"Why are you here Bo?"

"I-I needed to see you."

"Well, you've seen me." She turns, starting up the steps and I just find myself standing here, sort of dumbfounded at the dismissal. "Are you coming, or do you want to stand out here all day?"

She doesn't look back as she says it, just walks into the house giving me and her fuzzy friend no choice but to follow. I can't help glancing around, the place is grand from what I can see. Large staircase and archways with insanely shinny hardwood floors. She must clean all day long. I smirk, the thought of this being the perfect place for a haunting. Too much time with Kenz and her movie collection. Shaking my head at myself I follow her into the kitchen.

"Did you want something to drink?" She asks, undoing her hair.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I'm aware." She looks away from me, walking to the island in the middle of the kitchen. There's a glass there, something in it already, I'm assuming lemonade by the color. She's really got into the country life. "You didn't answer mine either."

"Well," I shrug, smirking. "Guess we're at an impasse then."

"We are." She chuckles into her glass, taking a drink. "You know it's been years Bo, since we even exchanged an email."

"There's reasons-for that." I pull the stool out from behind the counter. "My inbox wasn't exactly flooded with letters from you either."

"Despite all of that, you still think you're owed some explanation?" Her brow raises, taking another drink. "This is a very small town Bo, not a lot of people, and everyone knows everyone. First name, last name, who is doing who, jobs, you get the picture."

"I-not sure what that has to-?" I shake my head, eyes running over her.

"Still completely territorial and persistent, aren't you?"

"You used to find my territorial nature cute."

"When I moved here I didn't want the attention that a new doctor from a city who keeps to herself gets. It's really like catnip to the single men in this town. The ring is my grandmother's, I put it on to keep myself at a distance. No one's ever asked, but like I said-small town. I think they assume my husband died."

"Husband?"

"Most people see ring and assume straight, I don't know Bo. Are you really here to discuss the intricacies of hetrosexism?"

"I don't even," I trail off, nervous laugh escaping. "Know what that is."

"Bo, why are you here?"

"Where did you get the name Epona?"

"Zelda. Why are you here?"

"Zelda?"

"Legend of Zelda, I like the game." She finishes the drink, placing the glass down. "I told you, I have a geeky side. Now, Bo please, why are you here?"

"You're not happy to see me?" I whisper, taking a deep breath.

"It's not that," She sighs. "No matter our situation Bo, I don't think I've ever not been happy to see you-to some degree at least."

"Well that's something." Small smile as I look up to meet her gaze. I know I should talk, even if it's just something to extend this painfully awkward conversation. The time though for small talk has come to an end, honestly it probably did several times over now.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you." I smile gently as I see the corners of her mouth twinging. "I never could, from that first moment."

"Bo."

"Yeah, yeah." I hold my hands up nodding. "I get it, my once charming tripping over words and playfulness isn't quite as charming anymore."

"No, it's still charming." She walks up to the counter opposite me. "It's just-painful now. You smile at me the way you do. You avoid my questions in that way that only you could make adorable. It all just makes me want to kiss you, and I know I can't."

"Why can't you?" I smirk.

"Because nothing has changed."

"What if it had?"

"Bo," She sighs, looking away from me. "Please don't make this harder than it is. Just-just tell me why you're here."

"I wasn't lying Lauren, I wanted to see you."

"How'd you even manage to find me?"

"A friend."

"A friend?" She snorts, rolling her eyes as she subtly starts taking steps back.

"Yes, a friend. A young succubus actually."

"Young succubus." She repeats my words with this harshness, almost as if I had intended to insult her with them. "Wedding bells in the future?"

"Could be," I nod. "Not with her though, she's seventeen. It's much more of a mother daughter deal, if a mother allowed her daughter to vanish for weeks at a time. She always comes back though, last time she came back with a little card, this address and your name on it."

"Sent her to fetch did you?" She smirks, arms folding across her chest as she leans back against the island. "Sounds more like a young Dyson than she does a succubus."

"And you have the nerve to call out my territorial nature," I return her smirk, shaking my head ever so slightly. "She was driving through, apparently roads here flood? As fate would have it, she wound up in your care."

"Fate, it's a fickle thing."

"Tell me about it."

She's just staring at me now, this ' _What do you really want'_ look on her face. The novelty of this all has worn off. I wish I could say I was surprised, but somethings don't change. This is her, overthinking everything. I'd be perfectly happy just sitting here, looking at her and pretending it's just us. Pretending that nothing ever happened.

At least for a little while.

I wonder if we could, just pick up where we left off and pretend everything didn't happen. I wonder if we could just-slip back into us. God knows I still love her, everything about her. Looking at her now, I feel just the same as I did the first time I saw her.

Nothing's changed for me, the real question is though, has it for her?

"What?" I ask softly, feeling my cheeks flush under her gaze. I'm not sure when ' _What do you really want'_ turned into-whatever this look is.

"There's," Her arms fall to her sides, these small steps back toward me. "Something about you now," She studying me the way she does one of her puzzles. Her eyes dancing over my face and I can't help this goofy smile from creeping up under the attention. "I can't quite figure out."

"I-I'm human." Her eyes find mine, and I don't think I've ever seen her so confused. It's adorable really. "Well, in your words, I took the antidote." Smile turning to a smirk. "Bad joke?"

"Bo, a-are you-how did-I don't-?" She lets out this sort of sighing, chuckle that swallows up her words.

"Yeah," I smile again, this time though I can't help how nervous I am. Bringing myself to my feet, I place my sunglasses down on the counter. It's more of something to buy me a couple seconds to try to sort my thoughts than anything really. "I'm not fae anymore."

"But how? When?" She looks over me with this look of pure concern, and as much as I want to reassure her, I can't help the sliver of happiness coming over me knowing she still cares this much. "Are you okay?"

"I am," I nod, eyes drifting down to her hands that have found their way to the countertop. "I wasn't, for a long time. For a long time I was anything but okay. I think I got as close to dying as I could without actually-well dying." I chuckle softly at myself. "I lost so much, we lost so much." My eyes move up until they meet hers. "When you left, I-I've done things I'm not proud of, but every single night you were the last person I thought of. Every morning you were the first person I thought of. I thought that in time it would stop, that I could-that I could stop loving you." I slide my hands over the cool stone until they come to cover hers. "Turns out that it's impossible."

"I just-I don't understand."

"I asked you once why you were so willing to give up who you are to be fae, do you remember what you told me?"

"That it was never about being fae-."

"It was about fixing the one thing that holds us back." I finish the sentence with her. "I may have fought every big bad that came along, but you were always the strongest between us Lauren. You were always what kept me going, you and Kenz. I'm sorry that I made you feel like you had to be the one to always hold it all together. I'm sorry that I let the little things slip, things I didn't even know to look for."

"Bo, don't apologize. You-."

"I saved the world more times than an avenger, though honestly my villains kinda sucked in comparison." I chuckle softly, way too much time with Kenz's movie collection. Gently slipping my fingers under her palms, holding her hands. "I did more than anyone could ever have asked, sacrificed more than I think is fair. Everyone did, some paid a higher price, but I did everything I could, I fought for as long as I could." I sigh, trying to keep the memory of all we lost at bay. "There comes a day when you have to know when to let someone else take over."

"You don't get that option Bo, you're-"

"A protector?" I laugh, nodding. "I know, and you're a healer. You're still a doctor, and I-well I saw that your sheriff's department is looking for a few good men," Smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth, as I finally feel her grip my hands. "Think they'd settle for a shameless ex-succubus who ran her own supernatural private investigative service?"

"I think," She trails off, looking down at our hands. There's no smile, no movement, she just falls still and suddenly I'm that girl back in my apartment terrified of what's coming. "We should leave that off your resume." I swear when she looks up to meet my eyes, this smile covering her face that I had almost forgotten, my heart stops.

"Wh-what?" The words stumble out, not completely sure I had heard her right. My only answer her hands going to my face guiding me to lean in. It's this soft, gentle kiss that last maybe for five seconds, but it's enough to send my head spinning. "Ow."

"What?" She smiles, opening her eyes. Her forehead against mine, hands still on my cheeks.

"My ribs," I whisper, looking down at my body pressed tightly against the ledge. "Still getting used to the human threshold for pain."

"Oh-Oh my God." She pulls back rather quickly, earning another laugh from me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little sensitive." I smirk, maneuvering around the counter. "Us humans are surprisingly delicate."

"You get used to it." Her soft whisper only further hushed by the look in her eyes, the way they move to my lips as I close the distance.

"I may need some assistance with this." My arms wrapping around her body, hands resting on her shoulder blades as we stumble the few steps back into the counter that keeps us in place.

"Well I am a very busy woman and," She mumbles against my lips in between kisses. "My services are kind of expensive," Her hands finding a home in my hair, keeping me from really moving-as if I would. "How long were you thinking?"

"How," A soft kiss broken off as I come to hold her gaze. "Does forever sound?"

"I think we can work something out." She nods with this smile, the one that makes me wonder how I've made it all these years without seeing it.

Maybe it's her who pulls me in, or maybe it's me who leans in-maybe it's both of us who just fall together the way we always seem to do. In any way you look at it our lips meet and I can't breathe in the best possible way. The way that makes you never want to breathe again because you've never felt more alive.

"Forever it is then." I smile, breathlessly against her lips as I keep my eyes closed never wanting this moment to end.

Forever never sounded as promising as it does in this moment. Something about knowing that her forever is finally the same as mine. Everyone told me I was giving up the closest thing to immorality that there is, I say keep it.

Who needs immortality when you have a forever?

.


End file.
